Chesapeake Bay #1 Introduction and What is an Estuary?




Chesapeake Bay

What is an estuary?

An estuary is a coastal area partially enclosed by land but still connected to the open sea. Estuaries contain a mixture of fresh, salt, and brackish water (Brackish water has a salinity somewhere between fresh and salt water). Because of the high influx of nutrients from both fresh and salt water, estuaries are among the most productive biomes in the world. Estuaries are also some of the most populated areas in the world (almost 60%) and thus they quickly become polluted.

Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It is approximately 200 miles long and is a drainage basin for more than 100 rivers and streams. The fishing industry is very big in the bay but pollution keeps it in check.


 

38°33'7.95"N
76°22'31.10"W